Cubs agree to minor league deal with pitcher Kenta Maeda

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with Kenta Maeda, giving the struggling right-hander another chance to regain his form.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed the deal before Friday’s 13-3 win over the White Sox.

The 37-year-old Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

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“I think it’s a player that you got to have a constant conversation with, and see where we can maybe make some adjustments and see where he’s at,” Counsell said.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who missed the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

The NL Central-leading Cubs have three key starting pitchers on the injured list. Shota Imanaga has a mild left hamstring strain, and Javier Assad has an oblique issue. Justin Steele is out for the rest of the season with an elbow injury.

Imanaga got hurt during a 4-0 loss at Milwaukee on May 4. Counsell said the team wants to get through this weekend before laying out a plan for Imanaga’s return.

“For now, we’re just continuing to throw,” Counsell said. “He’s kind of having a high day, a medium day, a low day throwing, but continuing to throw every day on that kind of rotational cycle.”

The Cubs also are playing without left fielder Ian Happ, who is on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. The three-time Gold Glove winner got hurt on a swing last week.

“I think tomorrow is kind of a bigger day to see where we’re at with Ian, because obviously we have to progress towards hitting if we’re talking about [activating him on] Tuesday,” Counsell said.